Letter-copying cabinet.



No. 662,528. Patented Nov. 27, I900. E. FElGE.

LETTER COPYING CABINET.

(Applicationfiled Jun e 4, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsShaet l.

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No. 662,528. Patented Nov. 27, I900. E. FEIGE.

LETTER COPYING CABINET.

{Application filed Tune 4. 190.L

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No Model.)

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1 TATE ERNEST FEIGE, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

LETTER-COPYING CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,528, dated November27, 1906.

Application filed June 4, 1900. Serial No. 19,001. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST FEIGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-CopyingCabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a letter-copying cabinet; and the improvements consistin certain construction, combinations, and arrangements of parts wherebythe objects of my invention are accomplished. These objects are toprovide a device capable of copying letters in letter-books by applyingthe weight of the operator to a foot-lever, to provide means for lockingand releasing the foot-lever, and also to provide means for quicklyadjusting the distance between the pressure plates or platens toaccommodate copy-books of various thicknesses. V

A further object is to produce as an article of manufacture aletter-copying cabinet that is strong, compact, and neat in appearance,as well as rapid and efficient in operation.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings throu gh out the several views, of which similar characters ofreference designate corresponding parts and devices. I

Figure 1 is aperspective view of acomplete cabinet embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the working parts,the section being taken parallel with the sides of the cabinet. Fig. 3is a similar vertical section taken parallel with the front of thecabinet. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the mechanism for adjusting thelower platen as it appears when seen from below. Fig. 5 is a detailshowing the mechanism for operating the upper platen.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the

4 device consists in a case or cabinet 1, in the upper part of which aretwo horizontal pressure plates or platens between which the letfer-bookis pressed. The upper platen 2 is forced downward upon the book by meansof tension-rods 3, pivoted to the platen at their upper ends andextending downwardly on each side of the cabinet to within a shortdistance of the floor, where they are pivoted to opposite ends of arocker-arm 4. The rocker-arm is pivotally mounted by projecting journals5 to the walls of the cabinet, and its partial rotation imparts avertical movement to the tension-rods 3 and the upper platen 2. Afoot-lever 6, secured to the rocker-arm and having a foothold extendingoutside the cabinet, serves to operate the upper platen through thetension-rods 3, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 5. To return the upperplaten 2 to its normal position after being depressed, coiled springs 7are placed under it. These springs are preferably mounted on guide-rods'7, fixed to a brace 8. The upper ends of the guide-rods slide in holes7 of the upper platen 2 when the springs are compressed or released bythe movement of the upper platen. While I consider the springarrangement just described a preferable mode of supporting the upperplaten, it is evident that any other equivalent means accomplishing thesame result may be substituted without departing from the spirit of myinvention. The pressure brought upon the copy-book by the upper platenis transmitted to the lower platen 9. This lower platen has means forvertical adjustment to suit various thicknesses of copy-books and toaccommodate more than one book at a time if desired.

The means I have adopted for supporting the lower platen firmly in anyposition and for automatically locking it wherever it is placed is asfollows: A series of cams or eccentrics 10, mounted on horizontal shafts10, is arranged below the lower platen ll and supports it. A suitableframework 11, secured to the walls of the cabinet, supports the ends ofthe shafts 10. To rotate the shafts and their attached cams uniformlyand to prevent lateral movement of the platen 9, I arrange the shaftsand cams as shown in Fig. 4. The two shafts 10" carry opposing pairs ofcams, which can be rotated simultaneously both inwardly or bothoutwardly, as desired, thereby avoiding any tendency to displace theplaten horizontally, To rotate the cams, I secure Worm-wheels 12 to theshafts 10 and drive the worm-wheels by right and left hand lever 6.

Worms mounted on a shaft 12*, that extends outside the cabinet and isprovided with a suitable crank or wheel. Rotating the shaft 12 thusrevolves the cams simultaneously, thereby raising or lowering the platen9, as desired, and the worm-gears automatically hold the cams locked inposition.

To prevent the cams from revolving beyond their efiective curve, Iprovide one or more of them with projecting pins or stops 10", thatengage corresponding projections 11 on the frame 11.

When the foot-lever 6 is depressed, it is held in place by means of atoothed or notched bar 13, that engages a projecting rib 6 of the Torelease the foot-lever .when the copy is completed, I provide a movablebutton or other suitable device 14:, that extends outside the cabinetWithin easy reach of the operator and connected by rods or wires to thepivoted bar 13. I have found that a bellcrank lever 15, connected byrods 15 and 15 to the bar 1.3 and button 14, serves this purpose well inpractice.

Additional usefulness is imparted to the cabinet by providing shelves orpartitions 17 below the platens to receive extra copy-books,copying-pads, and other articles. A shelf'16, hinged to one side of thecabinet, is convenient for arranging the copies in the book, the.

' By-the means above described I produce a combination cabinet andletter-press that is simple in construction, ornamental in appearance,and very easy and rapid in operation. The construction and arrangementof parts give great strength, for the tension produced by the foot-leveris transmitted through metal bars 3 to the upper platen, and theresulting seams stress acts as a downward thrust through the frame ofthe cabinet and has no'tendency to to distort the cabinet or force thejoints.-

What I claim is 1. In a letter-copying cabinet having ade pressibleupper platen operated by a foot-lever, and a thrustrresisting lowerplateni the combination with pairs of thrust-resisting cams forsupporting the lower platen and adjusting its height; of a right-handWorm and gear for rotating and automatically locking one pair of saidcams; a left-hand worm and gear for rotating and automatically lockingthe other pair of cams; and a shaft extending outside the cabinettorevolve the worms, thereby simultaneously rotating said pairs of cams inopposite directions.

2. A letter-copying cabinet comprising in combination with a lowerplaten and a footoperated upper platen; rotatable thrust-resisting camsfor adjusting the operative distance between said platens to suit booksof various thicknesses, said cams being arranged in pairs approximatelynear the middle of and below said lower platen; a right-hand worm andgear for rotating and automatically lock- ERNEST FEIGE.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. WILLcoX, WILLIAM STEPHENS.

